Approximately 20 years ago the Army (US) budgeted about $100 m on a project and supply system. This system was designed to facilitate the transport and deployment of support equipment with various ships, tugboats, and cranes. This support equipment is also known as Army Material and has been deemed an important contingency activity for the US military. As such, it is only to be used under certain and specific war scenarios or combat situations.
The support equipment includes a Modular Causeway System (MCS) in which a vehicle causeway can be transported, assembled, and rapidly deployed from transport vessels such as ships and boats. The MCS is assembled with a plurality of MCS sections or ISOPAK units which form a road, causeway, turning platform and several other configurations. Each MCS section comprises a plurality of guillotine well assemblies which function as rapid attachment points for cranes, transport equipment, and other MCS sections. Reliable attachment is dependent on the free movement of, among other components, a spring tensioned Connector Assembly Mechanism (CAM) which is located within the guillotine wells.
When not in use, the support equipment is kept in Prepositioned Condition/Storage (PREPO) where it is frequently exposed to the environment and other undesirable elements. While in this PREPO configuration, the CAB often becomes clogged with dirt, sand, corrosion, and even animal nests and debris and subsequently requires significant labor to maintain the ISOPAKS in duty ready condition in a short period of time. For many years CAM maintenance has been identified as a drain/concern in: parts, labor, maintenance, safety, and a hindrance on the ability to activate the MCS program in a very short time window.
Therefore a need exists for a novel sealing structure capable of preventing the accumulation of animal nesting, dirt, sand, and debris within the CAMs. A further need exists for a sealing structure that is capable of shielding the CAM from rain and water accumulation within the guillotine wells. There is also a need for the sealing structure to be able to vent and prevent the accumulation of condensation within the guillotine wells. Finally, there is a need for the sealing structure to be able to accommodate a range of guillotine well sizes frequently encountered due to varied production processes and techniques.